Which approach posits that behaviour is influenced by early childhood experiences and is driven by instincts such as sex and life?

Which approach posits that behaviour is influenced by early childhood experiences and is driven by instincts such as sex and life?

• A. Cognitive approach
• B. Humanistic approach
• C. Psychodynamic approach
• D. Behaviourist approach

Answer: (C)

This item tests the idea that behavior is shaped by early childhood experiences and by unconscious drives, including instincts such as sex and the life drive. This description fits the psychodynamic approach, which emphasizes how unconscious motivations and early experiences influence thoughts, feelings, and actions. Freud’s view was that much of personality is formed in early life and that instinctual forces like libido (sexual energy) and the life instinct guide behavior, often without conscious awareness. The emphasis on internal conflicts and unresolved childhood issues is a hallmark of this perspective. Other approaches explain behavior differently. The cognitive approach centers on mental processes—how we think, remember, and problem-solve—rather than unconscious drives. The humanistic approach focuses on free will, personal growth, and subjective experience. The behaviourist approach looks at observable behavior and learning from the environment, with little emphasis on inner instincts or childhood conflicts.

This item tests the idea that behavior is shaped by early childhood experiences and by unconscious drives, including instincts such as sex and the life drive. This description fits the psychodynamic approach, which emphasizes how unconscious motivations and early experiences influence thoughts, feelings, and actions. Freud’s view was that much of personality is formed in early life and that instinctual forces like libido (sexual energy) and the life instinct guide behavior, often without conscious awareness. The emphasis on internal conflicts and unresolved childhood issues is a hallmark of this perspective.

Other approaches explain behavior differently. The cognitive approach centers on mental processes—how we think, remember, and problem-solve—rather than unconscious drives. The humanistic approach focuses on free will, personal growth, and subjective experience. The behaviourist approach looks at observable behavior and learning from the environment, with little emphasis on inner instincts or childhood conflicts.